I did a variety of FHR/HC within the trip instead of 1 location.. I saw the ebb and flow shortly after digging into rooms and booked cheaper nights (weekday) at 5 star hotels and left the strip for thr, fri and sat to see the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon.
Delano ($84) Wed - FHR
Hoover Dam Lodge ($101) Thr, Fri, Sat - Std
Conrad ($139) Sun - FHR
Mirrage ($89) Mon, Tues - HC
Wynn ($159) Wed - FHR
Resort fees on all but the Hoover, but having the FHR and HC experience credits and FHR b.fast credits plus some extra perks were worth more than the combined resort fees so it was potentially even larger savings in this instance. I left over a hundred FHR/HC credit on the table in the end.. The shows and exploring around distracted me from using all the property credits.
I also missed out on a better rate at some of the properties trying to decide on Thr, Fri, Sat.. Early on Fremont street would have been a better deal but I did want to venture out for the Hoover and the Canyon and my waffling allowed both downtown and Boulder City to creep up in price.
The Conrad was upgraded to a suite, and the Wynn was upgraded to a strip view room on level 50. If this was my only travel this year and despite leaving money of the table (~$200-250 with the extra Delano and Conrad $$ perks) plus the LAS Sky Club access and other Amex benefits I use, I'm content with the AF and MR accumulation still. At some point I'll look into MR use for maximum gain, but also have confidence that the points are going to remain worthwhile until then.
@AyaMai wrote:What the best way to use my AMEX points for hotels since I do not fly, I do road trips. Your suggestions are appreciated and thank you in advance.
How many MR points do you have?
@SouthJamaica wrote:After reading the Points Guy article and the above posts, I'm thinking that it's pretty pointless to accumulate Amex MR points if one does not fly.
+1 ^ ^ ^ And that, in a nutshell, is also my experience with AMEX cards and MRs, @SouthJamaica . Platinum is a great card for airfare/airport lounges/frequent fliers, but not so much for other travel. And after studying MRs I earned on my Gold card, I see that the value is much higher when transferring MRs to airline partners and being able to redeem for premium cabin. I want to earn travel points for hotels, rental cars, or other redemption options as well as just flights. Consequently, I find better overall value in Chase Ultimate Rewards and the Sapphire Reserve. With AMEX, I found better value in just getting a hotel card (Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant) where I can earn Bonvoy points directly instead of funneling through the MR point system.
I usually suggest to someone considering a dive into points-based cards that they understand the importance of all the nuances of those cards, including the all-important question of how someone plans to redeem those points. It matters.
@BijouMan wrote:I love flying. It is the single most reliable form of transportation. It is so reliable that whenever something happens it makes the news. Just look at how many planes are flying right now versus how many you hear about. I don't know why so many people are afraid to go on planes.
I couldn't agree more, @BijouMan, and I do fly often also. My business travel is paid directly by my employer and airfare doesn't constitute the majority of my spending for personal travel. In my case, it's just one piece of the travel puzzle and I don't prefer a travel points stategy that centers around it. I want the flexibility to use points in various ways, and that's where I believe that Chase's wider definition of "travel" (see link) and redemption options excel above AMEX MRs.
@BijouMan wrote:Amex is definitely the best system in my opinion for aviation enthusiasts. They have more transfer partners than the competitors, and through these partners you can get into the premium cabins on pretty much any plane in any country. Also the Platinum Card gives you 5X points when booking directly through airlines as opposed to Chase which only gives you that when booking from their own site.
Yes @BijouMan , I totally agree that for travelers who fly often and highly prioritize being able to have airport lounge access, earning more points on airfare spending, and redeeming points for more value by transfer to airline partners, the Platinum card is at its' best. For those travelers, it is possibly the best travel card choice. That's especially true if they are able to organically optimize the use of all the annual fee credits. But that's not the case with all consumers and for them, the Platinum card may be a poor investment even with the enhanced travel rewards and perks. That's why we all have to do the math to see whether this (or any card) is a good fit for our spending, valuation, and lifestyle.
For other travelers who favor flexible travel definition, earning or redeeming points outside of airfare, superior travel protections and insurances, and a more customer-friendly annual fee/credit structure, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a better choice. I compared the two cards recently in >THIS THREAD< and gave the Platinum accolades for the airfare/aiport lounge strengths. However, I also explained why I believed the Sapphire Reserve was a better card for myself.
You'll also see the references in that link to the superior value of the Sapphire Reserve for hotel spending, which was the premise of OP's first message. Unlike for airfare, for hotel redemptions the Platinum is not so exceptional IMO.
